Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler will take out bank loans and sell bonds to repay $7.5 billion in bailout money from the U.S. and Canadian governments, another sign that the automaker is recovering from its near-collapse in 2009.
Details about how much Chrysler will borrow from banks and the size of the bond sale are being worked out.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge ordered a Texas-based company accused of abusing and underpaying several mentally disabled men at a turkey plant in Iowa to pay $1.76 million to the former workers, the U.S. Labor Department said Wednesday.
The partial summary judgment was issued in the department's lawsuit against Hill Country Farms, of Goldthwaite, Texas, doing business as Henry's Turkey Service.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Spyker Cars, the tiny Dutch company that controls struggling automaker Saab, came closer to getting much-needed investment from Russian Vladimir Antonov after Sweden's debt office on Thursday approved his application to become a shareholder.
The decision means Spyker has cleared one of several hurdles in its attempt to solve a liquidity crisis that has forced it to suspend production at the Saab plant in western Sweden.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Commercials promoting sugary breakfast cereals could be put on a strict diet under government guidelines urging food companies to limit marketing of unhealthy products to children.
Under a proposal announced Thursday by several government agencies, companies would be urged to only market foods to children ages 2 through 17 if they are low in fats, sugars and sodium and contain specified healthy ingredients.

Kohler has unveiled the Numi, its new “smart toilet,” which features a variety of motion sensors, an adjustable heated seat, a deodorizer that sucks out undesirable smells, and a personalized bidet. Of course, it all comes packaged with a remote control. All of this for only $6,390...
If you’re having trouble watching this video, try downloading the latest version of Flash Player or contacting your IT department.

The PC7 portable spot air conditioner from MovinCool (Long Beach, CA) now has an expanded cooling capacity of 9,000 Btu/h, an almost 30 percent increase over the previous version. According to the company, this is made possible by a more efficient design, which provides greater airflow over both the evaporator and condenser.

Bearing Distributors, Inc. (BDI; Cleveland, OH) has announced the acquisition of Salt Lake City, UL-based PneumaTrek National Inc. PneumaTrek will offer pneumatics, hydraulics systems, and fluid power components to businesses in the Salt Lake City market and surrounding area since 1975. According to BDI, the acquisition will combine PneumaTrek’s local market expertise with BDI’s global footprint, supplier/partner relationships, and resources.

The DryLin R linear plain bearings, from igus (East Providence, RI), can be used to replace PTFE-lined bearings in a variety of industries, according to the company. They have been optimized for aggressive environments thanks to patented dirt channels, which are grooved inlays on the bearing’s liner that prevent buildup.

ITW Dymon (Olathe, KS) has developed the SCRUBS Green Cleaning Wipes for hard surface cleaning with environmental advantages, according to the company. The 6 by 10.5” wipes are saturated with a non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-flammable formula. They contain no dyes, disperse in water, and are flushable.

U.S. physicists might have found what is commonly known as "the God particle," an elusive, minute substance that has long promised to revolutionize the way we look at the physics of our universe. Bill Nye (aka The Science Guy) seems cautiously optimistic of the findings, which could unlock new forms of hyper-powerful energy sources.

Q&A with Fred Melms, Manager — Packaging R&D, WhiteWave Foods
WhiteWave Foods is one of the largest producers of creamer singles in North America, primarily through its International Delight® and LAND O LAKES® brands. The company has recently developed alternative packaging to reduce the environmental impact of its products.

At the end of the day, consumers that receive poor customer service do so at their own choosing. It is not the fault of the company because the customer gets to vote everyday with their money as to who gets to stay in business and who does not.
What an interesting question to ask in a capitalistic market where, theoretically, there are many companies competing to serve customers with their products.

Engadget ’s Tim Stevens sat down with Alan Mullaly, CEO of Ford, on the future of not only his company, but the transportation industry in general. Like most other automakers, Ford is taking steps to get into the electric-vehicle market with an all-electric Focus. By the time 2025 rolls around, Mullaly predicts that at least 20 percent of the cars on the road will be electric.

According to a recent economic forecast, China's economy could overtake the U.S.'s by 2016 — or earlier than projected by other recent forecasts. What would this mean for China? But more importantly, what would this mean for the ever-improving American economy? CNN 's Ramy Inocencio breaks things down in this video.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, just back from China, said the United States must compete with the Asian nation to be a global leader on renewable energy.
The Nevada Democrat led a bipartisan delegation of 10 senators on a taxpayer-funded trip to China that included meetings with top Chinese government officials and business leaders.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and a flight instructor did everything they could to save their lives after the small plane they were piloting malfunctioned, causing them to crash into a Manhattan building, a lawyer for the men's families told a jury Wednesday at the start of a civil trial.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Plastic or ... a different plastic?
Procter & Gamble said Tuesday that it has started producing some of its shampoo bottles from a plastic made from sugar cane because it's a renewable resource. Customers won't notice a difference, the company said, but the environment will: Most traditional plastics are petroleum-based.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Johnson & Johnson's CEO said Wednesday he hopes most of the company's product recalls are behind it, but he can't promise that.
William Weldon, who has run the health care giant since 2002, said J&J has learned some lessons, invested heavily in improving quality and will work to regain consumer confidence.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Wisconsin woman who created a bra with pockets has filed a federal patent infringement lawsuit against another person who came up with a similar idea.
Tammy Pintor, owner of TJ Secret in Menomonee Falls, has a patent for a brassiere that holds and conceals electronic devices, cosmetics, money or other items.

John Ryland worked a dozen years at an advertising firm, only to get laid off. Instead of mourning his loss, he got to work on what had always been a hobby and a passion: building custom motorcycles. He now heads Classified Moto , a fledgling business that builds those custom choppers for eager riders.